To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Mitch Buttress 707-524-3795 Robert Pennington 707 565-1352
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Continued Implementation of California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager and County of Sonoma through its Permit and Resource Management Department’s Director to execute a cooperative agreement for County of Sonoma to provide funds to Sonoma County Water Agency for the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program in an amount not to exceed $40,000; agreement terminates on June 30, 2026.
B) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager and County of Sonoma through its Permit and Resource Management Department’s Director to amend the agreement to extend the term and increase costs, provided amendments do not cumulatively increase the total funds that County of Sonoma will be providing Sonoma County Water Agency beyond $90,000.
end
Executive Summary:
This item requests authorization for County of Sonoma through its Permit and Resource Management Department (Permit Sonoma) to enter into a cooperative agreement with Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) for continued implementation of the California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM) Program. Under the CASGEM Program, Sonoma Water will perform outreach to well owners and conduct groundwater elevation monitoring activities to record and document seasonal and long-term trends.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
In 2011, the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors authorized Sonoma Water’s General Manager and Permit Sonoma’s Director to enter into a cooperative agreement to develop monitoring plans and perform outreach and initial monitoring to comply with the CASGEM Program.
The CASGEM Program was created when the California Legislature passed SBx7-6 as part of the 2009 Comprehensive Water Package. The bill requires groundwater elevation monitoring for every basin and sub-basin listed in the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bulletin No. 118 to document seasonal and long-term trends. Participation in the CASGEM Program is voluntary for both local agencies acting as monitoring entities (Monitoring Entity) and well owners; however, if no Monitoring Entity steps forward to undertake the elevation monitoring, DWR must assume monitoring responsibilities and local eligible Monitoring Entities and the counties would become ineligible for state water grants and loans. Monitoring Entities are responsible for generating a monitoring network plan, compiling groundwater elevation data, and submitting that data to the California Department of Water Resources by July 1 and January 1 of each year.
Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma notified DWR of their intent to assume the responsibilities as Monitoring Entities for 13 of the 14 groundwater basins and sub-basins in Sonoma County. The City of Petaluma was responsible for the Petaluma Valley Groundwater Basin. Sonoma Water was the lead monitoring entity for the Kenwood Valley Groundwater Basin and the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sub-basin where Sonoma Water served as the lead agency for the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program, which encompasses these two basins.
Permit Sonoma was the lead monitoring entity for the following 11 groundwater basins and subbasins that were subject to the original agreement:
• Annapolis Ohlson Ranch Formation Highlands Groundwater Basin.
• Bodega Bay Area Groundwater Basin.
• Fort Ross Terrace Deposits Groundwater Basin.
• Knights Valley Groundwater Basin.
• Wilson Grove Formation Highlands Groundwater Basin.
• Alexander Area Groundwater Subbasin.
• Cloverdale Area Groundwater Subbasin.
• Healdsburg Area Groundwater Subbasin.
• Lower Russian Groundwater Basin.
• Rincon Valley Groundwater Subbasin.
• Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Subbasin.
Following the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014, the Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agencies were formed and took over monitoring responsibilities for the Petaluma Valley Groundwater Basin, Sonoma Valley Groundwater Subbasin, Kenwood Valley Groundwater Basin, and Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Subbasin. Permit Sonoma remains the lead monitoring entity for all basins and subbasins listed above, with the exception of Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Subbasin.
CONSULTING AGREEMENTS
Sonoma Water has entered into separate service agreements (Consulting Agreements) with California Land Stewardship Institute, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, and Sonoma Resource Conservation District (collectively “Monitoring Partners”) to conduct outreach to well owners and to perform monitoring activities under new agreements with Sonoma Water using the funds provided under this cooperative agreement.
The effective date of service agreements with Monitoring Partners are October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026. Service agreements were entered into in advance of the proposed cooperative agreement to comply with regulatory monitoring requirements.
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
General
This cooperative agreement allows the County to reimburse Sonoma Water for costs incurred in the Consulting Agreements for the continued implementation of the CASGEM Program. The estimated costs for Permit Sonoma and Sonoma Water represent a total of $80,000 (approximately $73,000 in consultant costs and $7,000 in Sonoma Water staff costs). Under the cooperative agreement, Permit Sonoma will reimburse Sonoma Water for 50 percent of the total cost, equating to $40,000 under this cooperative agreement as discussed below.
Under the cooperative agreement, Sonoma Water’s General Manager and Permit Sonoma’s Director have the ability to extend the term of the agreement for up to two additional years by providing written notice to the other party thirty days in advance of the expiration date. The extensions shall be formalized in amended agreements or amendments signed by the parties.
The effective date for the cooperative agreement is July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026.
Permit Sonoma and Sonoma Water’s responsibilities under the cooperative agreement are as follows:
Permit Sonoma Responsibilities
Under the cooperative agreement, Permit Sonoma will continue to provide funding to Sonoma Water to implement the CASGEM Program on behalf of Permit Sonoma for five of the groundwater basins and subbasins for which Permit Sonoma is the monitoring entity (Annapolis Ohlson Ranch Formation Highlands Groundwater Basin, Bodega Bay Area Groundwater Basin, Fort Ross Terrace Deposits Groundwater Basin, Knights Valley Groundwater Basin, and the Wilson Grove Formation Highlands Groundwater Basin). Permit Sonoma will provide up to $40,000 to Sonoma Water to fund these services.
Sonoma Water Responsibilities
Sonoma Water will use its own funds to implement the CASGEM Program on behalf of Permit Sonoma for the remaining five other groundwater basins and subbasins for which Permit Sonoma is the monitoring entity (Alexander Area Groundwater Subbasin, Cloverdale Area Groundwater Subbasin, Healdsburg Area Groundwater Subbasin, Lower Russian Groundwater Basin, and Rincon Valley Groundwater Subbasin). Sonoma Water either has operations within these basins or is actively involved in water management issues within these basins. Therefore, Sonoma Water funding can be applied for CASGEM Program implementation since these groundwater basins and sub-basins align with Sonoma Water operations and water resource management activities.
FUNDING
Sonoma Water entered into Consulting Agreements with the Monitoring Partners in October 2023 and have already performed FY 23/24 monitoring to not create a monitoring gap. Costs incurred in FY 23/24 for monitoring activities performed on behalf of Permit Sonoma total $7,500 and are included in FY 24/25 annual cost as outlined in the cooperative agreement.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
Goal: Environmental Stewardship
Strategy: Protect, enhance, and monitor natural resources, watershed conditions, and ecosystem health that are vital to the Russian River, Petaluma River, and Sonoma Creek Watersheds.
Action: Support collaborative efforts to improve habitat and pursue restoration opportunities that provide integrated regional benefit.
By continuing to measure and report groundwater levels in compliance with the CASGEM program, Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma will ensure that an important natural resource is monitored in groundwater basins throughout the County. The basins and subbasins where Sonoma Water is responsible for providing funding are directly connected to the Russian River watershed. Changes in groundwater levels can affect surface water availability and ecosystem health.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
11/12/2013: Approved cooperative agreement between Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma for implementation of CASGEM Program. Cost $100,000; term end June 30, 2018.
05/03/2011: Approved cooperative agreement between Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma for implementation of CASGEM Program. Total cost $115,000; term end June 30, 2012.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses (Permit Sonoma) |
$22,500 |
$17,500 |
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Budgeted Expenses (Sonoma Water) |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$42,500 |
$37,500 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund - Permit Sonoma |
$22,500 |
$17,500 |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other- Sonoma Water |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$42,500 |
$37,500 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Sonoma Water: Budgeted amount of $20,000 is available from FY 2024/2025 appropriations for the Russian River Projects fund. FY 2025/2026 appropriations will be budgeted in that fiscal year.
Permit Sonoma: There are sufficient appropriations in the FY 2024/2025 budget to cover reimbursement expenses totaling $22,500. Appropriations for 2025/2026 of $17,500 will be included in the FY 2025/2026 recommended budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment: Draft cooperative agreement between Sonoma Water and Permit Sonoma.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.